Saturday's Poem: Missing the Boat

Missing The Boat by Naomi Shihab Nye

“It is not so much that the boat passed
and you failed to notice it.
It is more like the boat stopping
directly outside your bedroom window,
the captain blowing the signal-horn,
the band playing a rousing march.

The boat shouted, waving bright flags,
its silver hull blinding in the sunlight.

But you had this idea you were going by train.

You kept checking the time-table,
digging for tracks.

And the boat got tired of you,
so tired it pulled up the anchor
and raised the ramp.

The boat bobbed into the distance,
shrinking like a toy—
at which point you probably realized
you had always loved the sea.

”

MISSING THE BOAT by Naomi Shihab-NyeIt is not so much that the boat passedand you failed to notice it.It is more like the boat stoppingdirectly outside your bedroom window,the captain blowing the signal-horn,the band playing a rousing march.The boat shouted, waving bright flags,its silver hull blinding in the sunlight.But you had this idea you were going by train.You kept checking the time-table,digging for tracks.And the boat got tired of you,so tired it pulled up the anchorand raised the ramp.The boat bobbed into the distance,shrinking like a toy—at which point you probably realizedyou had always loved the sea.